1. Statutes of National Planning for MDAby
Ms. BP Withanage
EFA National Coordinator
Ministry of Education
Sri Lanka

2. Historical Milestones
Education ordinance of 1939, as amended subsequently, provides the policy and governance framework.
Education Act of 1945 introduced free education an instruction in mother language from kindergarten to the university.
Special provision Act no. 8 of 1960 stipulated government sole provider of education to children aged 5 to 14.

3. Historical Milestones...
Company Act of 1982 allowed private sector to establish schools as a business enterprise.
Article 27 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka stipulates the right to education without discrimination on any grounds.
Compulsory education regulation with respect of children aged 5 to 14 was introduced in 1998.

4. Government Involvement
Child Labour is prohibited up to the age of 14
Free text books to students from grade (GCE Ordinary Level) and free school uniforms to students from grade 1 to 13
Free morning meal provided to malnourished children in grade 1
STR is 1:26 for primary and 1:22 for secondary levels
Mandatory In-Service training for all teachers while Continuing Teacher Education is provided for the professional and career development of teachers

5. Current Policy Framework for Education
Providing universal access to primary and secondary education, combined with full enrolment and completion of compulsory basic education cycle (grades 1 – 9)

6. Current Policy Framework for Education...
Attaining high levels of education quality, measured in terms of :
cognitive achievement
subject content mastery
other broader outcomes :
good team work
a disciplined work ethic
a positive, solution oriented approach to problems
ability to take initiative and display dynamism,
able leadership
effective communication and
respect for diversity in context of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society

7. Current Policy Framework for Education...
Producing high quality human capital and human resource capable of making a powerful contribution to human development, economic growth and poverty reduction.

8. National Core EFA Indicators
Gross enrolment in early childhood development programmes
60%
Indicator 2:
Percentage of new entrants to primary grade 1 who have attended some form of early childhood development programmes

9. related national programmes and activities
Objective : to reach 80% participation in pre-school education
Activities:
Develop standards, guidelines, for monitoring
Upgrade training for pre-school teachers

10. National Core EFA Indicators...
Indicator 3 : Gross intake rate to primary grade 1
95%
Indicator 4 : Net intake rate to primary grade 1
Indicator 5 : Gross enrolment ratio
Indicator 6 : Net enrolment ratio

11. related national programmes and activities
Objective : to increase the rates by 1%
Activities:
Improve infrastructure facilities
Increase training and deployment of teachers
Improve coverage and quality of services for children with special needs
Increase quality of day care and after school centers
Provide safe water supply and sanitation facilities in all schools

12. National Core EFA Indicators...
Public current expenditure on primary education
as a percentage of GNP %
per pupil, as a percentage of GNP 9%
Indicator 8:
Public expenditure on primary education as a percentage of total expenditure on education
32%

13. related national programmes and activities
Objectives :
Increase education budget;
Increase share for quality improvement
Activities :
Establish a medium-term budgetary framework
Establish a public expenditure and quality of education tracking system

14. National Core EFA Indicators...
Percentage of primary school teachers having required academic qualifications
60%
Indicator 10:
Percentage of primary school teachers certified to teach

15. related national programmes and activities
Objectives :
Increase percentage of trained teachers by 5%
Activities :
Streamline continuing education of teachers
Retrain teachers through teacher centres

16. National Core EFA Indicators...
Pupil-teacher ratio
21 : 1

17. related national programmes and activities
Objectives :
Achieved set national target – but student mastering basic learning competencies very low; problem with teacher quality?

18. National Core EFA Indicators...
Indicator 12 : Repetition rate
1.6% – 5.4%
Indicator 13 : Survival rate to grade 5
95%
Indicator 14 : Coefficient of efficiency
94.6%

19. related national programmes and activities
Objectives:
Increase Survival rate, Coefficient of efficiency by 1%
Activities :
All activities to improve the quality and efficiency of education system

20. National Core EFA Indicators...
Percentage of pupils at grade 4 who master literacy and numeracy (2003)
literacy numeracy
37% %

21. related national programmes and activities
Objective :
Activities:
Improve students learning achievement through mastery of essential learning competencies (ELC)
Improve quality of teacher training programmes
Strengthen student guidance and counselling

22. National Core EFA Indicators...
Literacy rate of 15 – 24 year olds
95%
Indicator 17:
Adult literacy rate

23. related national programmes and activities
Objectives :
Increase literacy rate by 1%
Activities :
Values found here do not tally with competency mastering from previous indicator!?

24. National Core EFA Indicators...
Literacy gender parity index
100.9%

25. related national programmes and activities
Objective :
Gender parity overachieved!
Activities:
Special help to the boy child

26. Other EFA related Issues
Ensuring availability of human and physical resources to improve quality teaching/ learning
Improvement of Non-formal Education
Promotion of Values
Reconstruction & Rehabilitation of Education in Conflict- and Disaster affected areas
Improve health & nutritional status of students

27. Ensuring availability of human & physical resources to improve quality of teaching / learning
Improve school management
Teacher Deployment
Incentives to difficult area schools
In-service teacher training / principal training
Quality inputs
Student subsidies (textbooks, transport, uniforms, mid-day meal

28. Improvement of Non-formal Education
Inadequate quality and quantity
Providing opportunity for Functional literacy for all
Opportunities for continuing education

29. Promotion of Values
Values to include culture and democracy, as well as peace, multi ethnic-relationship, gender sensitivity, and drugs/AIDS awareness
Integration into formal and non-formal education
Create conducive environment

30. Reconstruction & Rehabilitation of Education in Affected Areas
Maintain Proper Data Base
Provide Opportunities for the affected
Co-ordination with Donors / other Agencies
Monitoring

31. Improve health & nutritional status of students
Reactivate nutrition education
Improve school medical inspections
Provide health monitoring and intervention
Practical nutrition, sanitation awareness
Adolescent health; dental health
Increase health awareness of students, teachers & parents

32. MOE UNESCO UNNICEF Donors NGOs Department of Census Province Zone
Steering Committee
UNESCO
UNNICEF
Other Ministries
institutions
Donors
NGOs
Department
of Census
Province
Zone
School
Pre-school
Other
Institutions

33. Thank You Very Much!